


Date night

by Cutebutpsycho



Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 08:27:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16971192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cutebutpsycho/pseuds/Cutebutpsycho
Summary: Linguini prompted me "Herc/Carolyn, Rhapsody in Blue" on Tumblr and I came up with a date night fic.





	Date night

“So Fitton then?” Carolyn’s voice cuts through the lines, sardonic, yet also warm. “The Swiss actually are allowing you to come back to your home country?”

“Yes, Fitton,” Herc smiles into the phone. “Shall I cook?”

She snorts into the phone. “I shall be making myself a steak, but you’re more than welcome to the veg I have.”

“And Arthur?” Herc’s voice continues to have that Cheshire grin.

“Is gone,” Carolyn’s voice warms a degree. “Apparently he had so much fun with Icarus Removals that Martin’s taken him on as an intern of sorts.”

“Then it’s settled,” Herc replies. 

~*~

Dinner preparation never goes smoothly for them, which means that it goes smoothly for them. There’s Herc’s elbows in the way, Carolyns wide hips knock him about and there’s bickering about how one seasons ratatouille, but if there wasn’t that, then it wouldn’t be dinner in either of their opinions.

Conversations is usually kept to bits about work – Carolyn’s complaints about Arthur discovering the thesaurus and using it for the in-flight greeting, how Douglas continues to be a smarmy git and that she’s waiting for Martin to get a new job – she’s certain he’s going to any day now.

Herc details life in Zurich and how unsettling it is with the precision of the Swiss. “It’s as if they’re trying to out English the English,” he grouses as Carolyn chuckles. “And I miss getting a proper pint.”

“But the chocolate,” Carolyn sighs, “I’ll admit I was disappointed that you didn’t bring any with you.”

They wash up together, exchanging verbal barbs about the space in the kitchen. Carolyn complains that Herc’s elbows are digging into her sides, he teases her about how she organizes things. “It’s impossible for someone to get to anything, unless they’re short like you,” he grins.

“Then cut your legs off at the knees,” she retorts.

Somehow they end up at Fitton airfield as the sun sets – Carolyn said something about needing to get some paperwork, but they end up sitting in his car, watching the last planes take off as the sunlight goes gold, then orange, then red and into a deep blue as the night takes over.

Herc and Carolyn play a game – how many different types of airplanes can they identify and whether or not they’ve flown on them. Herc may have been more impressive jets, but Carolyn’s experience is vast and varied. However, he can identify the types of planes quicker than her.

As the game gets too old, Herc rummages in the back and produces – like a magician – a box of chocolate truffles and a bottle of sweet red wine for them to share. 

“You forgot the glasses,” Carolyn says, blushing at the gesture and desperately looking for something to tease him about.

“I thought we’d take swigs from the bottle like teenagers,” Herc grinned. “Unless you’re not feeling so young?”

She snatches the bottle from his hand and takes a swig. “I’ll always feel younger than you, Herc Shipwright,” her grin positively sparkles. For a moment, Herc wonders what it would have been like to have met her at an earlier time – would they have been ready for each other? Would they just fight? But timing is an odd duck and he’s happy for whatever time he can get with Carolyn, so he doesn’t dwell on the thought.

He twines his fingers into her hair and brushes his lips across her cheek as he whispers, “Young enough to try out the backseat?”

He’s rewarded with a staccato chuckle as she leans in to properly kiss him. “I’ve never been that young,” she replies. “But maybe if you keep this up, I’ll be amiable for a slumber party.”


End file.
